Russ' Ramblings

1 Peter 4:10-11 --- “As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

Our mothers taught us to say the magic words. These maternal instructions were reinforced by teachers, and then ultimately by experience. You know the words. It is “please” when you want to receive something. It is “thank-you” when you have received.

Please is the easy one. Even if we don’t learn the meaning of manners, we do come to understand the practical aspects. We want something. We ask for it. We do it politely. We use the magic word. We say, “Please.” Our manners are “pleasing” and generally bring us a desired response.

Gratitude, the offering of a “thank-you”, is a little more challenging. The difficulty is not a matter of the words. The difficulty is not a matter of the meaning. The difficulty is a matter of the order. It comes after we are already satisfied. From a purely selfish point of view, we no longer have a need for being polite. So, “thank-you” is often lost.

The giving of thanks, or gratitude, as a cultivated emotion is best found by seeing where you have been and what is happening to you in the present. As children we expect things to be done for us. We are not hesitant to ask. For, from the time we are born, the world of our parents revolves around us. We cry and we receive attention. We cry and someone feeds us. We cry and someone changes us. We cry and someone cuddles us. We cry and we get what we want. The only gratitude expressed is the look of satisfaction and comfort we show. Hopefully, we grow beyond the simplicity of self-satisfaction to appreciatively see how much has been done for us.

The annual reminder of Thanksgiving, as a holiday, challenges us to reflect and remember. It is no secret to those who know me that I love Thanksgiving (the holiday). I’m not sure how to fully explain it, but maybe I don’t need to. Suffice it to say that there is something especially warm and comfortable about Thanksgiving. It always began a few days before the actual day. There were unique groceries that filled the refrigerator. There were smells that made your mouth water. Pies would be baked. Cornbread would be made. Mother would be in a great mood as she hustled about the kitchen. For the observing person, there were always samples to be tasted, bowls to be scraped, and beaters to be licked. It was great. I know; I would watch with anticipation and enjoy the appetite elevating tastes. When the meal was eaten, it was the really just the “filling in the pie”. Like so many others, I would eat until I was heavily filled. I guess I was grateful, but it was mostly selfish.

Somewhere along the line, the power of Thanks-giving came home. It was found in coming to know that the warmth of the season was far more than plenty of food on the table. Gradually, the sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of it all formulated a picture of blessing that drew from uncharted depths. “Thank-you” was no longer a forced and well taught piece of mannerly behavior. Gratitude became a real appreciation of heart. It rose from an application of knowing all that good that was generously being shared. It became as much about the giving as about the receiving. Thanks-giving arrived at the privilege of being involved in a responsive relationship. Much is received. Much can be shared.

We have received so much from God. We can think about how full we are. Far better, we can recognize the richness of the relationship we have. Then in the meaning of Thanks-giving, we can become a part of the sharing.